


fifty pence for the gum (and my heart)

by simplekalzone



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: ..v quirky, Fluff, Grocery Store AU, ImAllexx - Freeform, M/M, Mutual Pining, No Angst, Strangers to Lovers, Swearing, and fun, and lighthearted, just pure, long again sorry, lots of fluff, memeulous - Freeform, you only see Georges pos but trust me both r pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:35:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25270237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplekalzone/pseuds/simplekalzone
Summary: George's eyes widened at the boy who had come from nowhere. His initial reaction of sputtering out a confused "Alex?" was swallowed (thankfully) and replaced with, "Uh, sorry, I don't know your name."Alex looked back up, still breathing heavily, and smiled crookedly. "Oh! I'm Alex.""Alex." George practiced, dwelling on the sound. "What the fuck are you screaming for?"(grocery store au!! george is cashier at your local supermarket and alex shops there sometimes. this is all fun and games people!)
Relationships: George Andrew/Alex Elmslie
Comments: 32
Kudos: 130





	fifty pence for the gum (and my heart)

**Author's Note:**

> another stupid au idea lol! i've always longed to fall in love at a grocery store okay? let me live through these boys.. this is so lighthearted not much angst again.. and so LONG geez.
> 
> AGAIN wish it came out better , and sorry if it's a tad boring :-( but i had fun!!!
> 
> also me trying to pretend like i know anything about british slang or currency is too funny

It was George's first day as cashier at his local grocery store, Lucy's Market.

Okay, not _technically_ his first day, as for the past few weeks he had been attentively watching one of his co-workers, Will, show him all the tricks and ticks of being a cashier. However, this chilly Saturday morning was his first official shift on his own.

George blinked wearily as he checked the time on his dashboard. 7:55 a.m. Too fucking early for the weekend, especially after a long week of intense assignments and assessments. University was proving to be no joke, even more so now that he had a job.

A couple minutes later, George stumbled out of his car and into the store, nodding meekly to the few early customers and fellow employees entering at the same time. Unfortunately Will, the only bloke George had really met since starting, wasn't scheduled to work today. So, he was forced to deal with the boredom of loneliness all day.

After clocking in and making his way over to his designated spot (checkout lane number four), he stood next to the register, sighing. For the unforeseeable future, George would be scanning items and chatting with old ladies who payed with quarters and dimes.

 _'Don't think about it'_ he reprimanded himself. What was the point in dwelling on the negative, soul-crushing aspects of life? At least the store played a wide range of music, ranging from David Bowie to Ariana Grande, anything to provide some sort of entertainment. And he _was_ getting paid. Not much at all, barely over the legal minimum, but paid nonetheless.

Life, George had learned, was all about finding and hanging onto the small positives for dear life.

Even if it was the soft lull of Yesterday by The Beatles playing, or the idea of his bank account slowly growing.

Even if it was the short, panicked looking boy that slipped through the entrance a few hours later (visible from George's position, which was nice for people watching), clutching a piece of paper. He looked quite cute from far away, maybe George's age or a bit younger, wrapped up in a bright pink hoodie.

He watched in delight as the boy squinted at the piece of paper he was holding, grabbing a nearby basket. Before George could get a closer look, the boy dashed behind the furthest aisle, disappearing from George's line of sight. Just in time, as a man had pulled into his lane.

"Find everything okay today?" George asked, grabbing the first item off the counter.

The man grunted in reply as he sifted through his wallet, a frown permanently etched upon his face. George wasn't sure whether he preferred the lively customers or the more withdrawn ones yet. Regardless, George wouldn't have minded a simple smile or a small "Good, thanks". Everyone had their own agenda, he supposed.

Thankfully the man only had a few items; two cartons of milk, some pasta noodles, and a few cat food containers. Therefore, the awkward silence wasn't forced to last too long. As George rang up the last of the salmon flavored cat food, the man inserted his credit card.

"Would you like a receipt?" George asked, the script he heard Will recite now drilled into his mind.

"Please."

George ripped the paper from the machine and handed it over to the man, smiling uncertainly. "Thanks for shopping at Lucy's Market, come again."

The man let out some huff of affirmation, grabbed the few bags sitting next to George, and walked away. George exhaled, happy to see the man walk away, not particularly concerned if the man would shop at this establishment again or not.

With his lane now empty again, he looked around the store, watching families and individuals walk in and out of various aisles. Lucy's Market was a smaller store, not a popular chain like Tesco or Sainsbury's. Because of this, even on the weekend, there was never an overwhelming amount of customers. Most of the ones you did see were dedicated shoppers, besides the few who came in to piss and buy a soda like a regular gas station.

In the corner of his eye, George saw a flash of pink, his mind immediately filling in the rest of the boy he saw earlier. He turned slightly, noticing the boy (with a full basket now) check each checkout clerk closely, as if looking for someone. As the boy's eyes neared the fourth lane, George turned back to face forward, simultaneously praying that the cute boy would and would not come to his lane.

Seconds that felt like hours passed by, filled with the endless sound of George drumming his fingers against the register, almost bouncing with anticipation.

However, seconds turned into minutes, and while George wasn't the smartest bloke around, he was sure the boy in the pink hoodie wasn't still standing there, contemplating which line to use.

George turned around— under the pretense of checking something far away— and noticed a bright pink hoodie under the lane marked seven. Susan, a sweet, blond girl a couple years younger than George was at the register, giggling at the boy in front of her.

George pretended to be unbothered, turning back around. A customer was slowly pushing their cart into his lane, so he busied himself with small talk and scanning.

He didn't even allow himself to glance up at the retreating figure of the boy in the pink hoodie. Although, it was only extinct to look up at the doors once they chimed, and therefore George was cursed to watch pink hoodie guy move past the sliding doors towards his future, without George.

George had never seen that boy while working with Will. But, they saw many people during the hours of working. It's possible that he slipped by, right?

Nah. George wouldn't be able to erase that boy from his mind if he tried. He surely would've remembered being so close to him, embarrassingly enough.

So, the boy wasn't a regular. Meaning, that was the only time George would ever see him. Thus displaying the cruel and chaotic manner of the universe. George would laugh if there wasn't cute boys on the line.

____________

After hours of convincing himself that he would never see the boy again, he almost jumped out of his skin weeks later when the boy in the pink hoodie (which was now white but still illuminating) stood behind the customer he was currently ringing up.

He willed himself to stay focused on the task at hand (specifically typing in the store number of the bananas the lady had purchased), fighting the urge to fix his hair or glance at the boy typing rapidly on his phone.

Up close, George could see the small details he wasn't able to from far away, like the softness of his hair or the fact that his hoodie had rainbow colored strings. He was holding a basket filled with a variety of items and a crumpled up piece of paper, most likely a shopping list. Who even used written out shopping lists anymore? It was simply endearing.

"Quite busy today, isn't it?" The lady piped up, moving her hand to reference the line behind her. In George's peripheral vision, he noticed the boy in white perk up and turn off his phone. Anxiety bubbled within him, knowing he had a least a part of the boy's attention now.

"Yeah, strange considering Tesco's, like, not too far away." He replied, bagging up the last of her groceries. "That'll be £15.30." As she inserted her card, George spoke again. "Would you like a receipt?"

"Oh, no thank you!" The lady grabbed her bags, placing them in her cart and shooting one last wave George's way. George waved weakly back, muttering something about having a good day, and then turned to find the boy in the white hoodie smiling shyly at him.

George immediately began to scan items, hoping the boy wouldn't see the nervousness probably manifesting through his choppy movements.

"Find everything okay?" George questioned, breaking his flow to glance up at the boy. He smiled and nodded, forcing George to duck down and continue scanning, smiling wide himself.

He grabbed a bag of grapes, making a mental list of what the boy seemed to like; grapes, chips (barbecue, specifically), strawberry lemonade...

"Is Tesco really that close?" The boy asked. "I mean, I just shop here 'cause my roommate works here, but I didn't even know this area had a Tesco."

George let out a breath of laughter, pausing his scanning to lean on the counter. "It's about a, I don't know, five minute drive from here? Gotta make a few weird turns."

The boy (who now George could see had some really nice bluish green eyes) nodded, looking contemplative. "What direction?"

"South, I believe. Pass it on my way to work."

The boy's eyes lit up, his mouth forming an 'o'. "You're telling me I've been driving a few extra minutes to come here, where everything is probably more expensive, when Tesco's been under my nose the whole time?"

George laughed, crossing his arms. Not only was the boy incredibly cute up close, but he was charismatic as hell. He made George feel like he was talking to a friend, rather than an actual customer.

"I doubt Tesco has as wonderful cashiers as Lucy's Market, though." George smirked.

The boy rolled his eyes in exasperation, but giggled, a sound that George would've payed to listen to. Knowing that _he_ was the cause of such a melodic sound, well, the feeling was unmatched.

"But, the gas money!" The boy cried, clutching his chest dramatically. George laughed, completely entranced.

Someone next to the boy across from him cleared their throat. George turned to find himself faced with a stern-looking woman behind a cart filled to the brim. "Sorry to disrupt your chat, but I've got places to be, son."

George paled, apologizing profusely as he quickly finished scanning and bagging the boy's items, only looking up at him briefly to see the boy looking back sympathetically, his face a bit red from the confrontation. 'Sorry', the boy mouthed. George smiled and shook his head dismissively.

Once he finished, the boy grabbed the few bags, nodding at George. "Like a receipt?"

"No, but thank you." The boy replied.

"See you—, have a good day." George said, secretly hoping the boy would be back to shop, despite the fact that Tesco was clearly the more economically advantageous option.

The boy grinned, turning around with his bags. "See you later, George!"

George could've stood there for the rest of his shift, replaying those words in his head. Thank fuck he had remembered to wear his name tag today— otherwise, he would have never gotten to hear the boy with the soft hoodie say his name. It's the small things.

As he began to start scanning the items of the woman who had interrupted George and the boy, he continued to think of him. Would he come back? If he did, would George ever see him? And who was his roommate, the sole reason the boy had showed up in the first place?

Maybe it was Susan, as that's who the boy went to on the first day George noticed him. But it couldn't be her— she was far too young to be enrolled in Uni. Unfortunately, George didn't know or socialize with many of his co-workers, and wasn't about to start asking them about random roommates they could possibly have.

Luckily for him, he didn't have to. Because literally a couple days later, on a warm Wednesday afternoon (in which he had no classes, a nice middle of the week break), George was finally working the same shift as Will, who chatted with him during the slow times.

Will was manning the register behind him, and with no customers in sight, George was turned around and enveloped in a conversation with Will about whatever came to their minds.

"She just wouldn't relent, no matter how many times I showed her the coupon's expiration date." Will complained, recounting an unfortunate encounter he had the other day with an uptight customer. "She asked for Joe, the manager, and when he told her the same thing, she stormed out."

George shook his head. "Unbelievable."

"You know, it made me upset at first, but now it's just fucking funny." Will laughed. "What about you, have any wild customer stories yet?"

George got ready to shake his head in response, when he suddenly remembered the boy in the pink or white hoodie. "Actually, the other day, I was talking to this guy..." George let out a laugh, recalling the sheepish look of the boy who had made him forget he was working. "This lady behind him got a bit pissed 'cause of how long we talked."

"People always in a rush." George heard Will mutter.

He nodded absently, his mind wandering back to the boy. "Will, I have a sort of weird question."

"Shoot."

"Okay, uhm..." George laughed weakly, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "Do you have, uh, a roommate? Has a white hoodie with rainbow strings, blue eyes, kind of looks like he would smell like strawberries?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, he's got light brown hair in that obnoxious curtain hairstyle?"

"Uh—," Will began, tilting his head slightly. "I mean, I've got a roommate, Alex, but he's absolutely feral mate. Doesn't smell like strawberries."

George rolled his eyes. "Okay that's not the—, well, does he meet the other criteria?"

Will contemplated the question a bit, slowly nodding after a couple seconds. "Sounds about right. Wait, how do you know Alex?"

"I don't, I _don't_ know him." George stammered. "He's the kid I was talking with. He might've mentioned a roommate, so, I was just curious." George said, looking at the ground and rubbing his elbow.

When he looked back up, Will was smirking at him with an eyebrow raised. George felt his face warm up under the suggestive look. "What?" George asked defensively.

Will schooled his face, putting his hands up. "Nothing, nothing. Just, uh, you remembered a lot of things about a guy you were 'just curious' about, is all."

George scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Insufferable twat." He mumbled, turning back around.

"Oi! 'M just saying I can put in a good word if you'd like—!" Will exclaimed.

"You will not." George interrupted, turning around and giving his best intimidating glare. But Will just smiled back, shrugging.

"Thought I'd offer."

_____________

It was a terribly slow Sunday morning. Only one other person was at a register, some old man that everyone called Gramps, and George was about three minutes away from taking a nap on the tiled floor.

Despite George working that Wednesday with Will and yesterday, he had not seen Alex shop since their interaction.

Alex.

Knowing his name was simultaneously thrilling and uncomfortable. He felt just a tad creepy for knowing his name, seeing as they'd only spoken once before, that conversation taking place when Alex was paying George for groceries.

Regardless, it made him feel closer to the boy, even if the only time they were destined to be together was during George's work hours. Another example of appreciating the small things.

George continued looking straight ahead, vaguely noting random oddities about the store (like the numerous flyers promoting a group cleanup in a few weeks), when he heard the unmistakable sound of doors sliding open.

He looked up quickly (perhaps even hopefully), hoping to see his favorite shopper. And George must have been extra good lately, as the higher beings of the universe graced him with Alex walking into the store, wearing the white hoodie again.

Alex looked up at the row of cashiers, brightening once he noticed George staring back. He threw his hand up in a wave, which George hurriedly returned, noting the same crumpled paper Alex seemed to always bring.

Once Alex was out of sight, George leaned on the register, sighing fondly. Alex was here, meaning that he _wasn't_ at Tesco. A win for George.

Realizing that Alex was actually here, George shot up and pulled out his phone, briefly checking his reflection in the camera. After running a hand through his hair a few times, he returned his phone to his pocket, taking a deep breath.

Minutes later, all of them filled with George anxiously biting his nails and constant leg bounces, Alex walked up to George's empty line.

George smiled at him, or beamed maybe, watching as Alex put his items down. Only two items, specifically. Golden, double-stuffed Oreos and a bottle of strawberry shampoo.

George almost laughed in disbelief. Will, the fucking liar.

"That all?" He asked, smiling up at the boy. Alex nodded, a sheepish look adorning his face.

"We, uh, ran out of snacks. And shampoo." He mumbled, giggling slightly.

"No, yeah, only the necessities of course." George joked, picking up the Oreos and moving them to the scanner. "Best kind, by the way."

"Totally." Alex said, his eyes lighting up. "Will, my roommate, is always barking about the classics."

"Oh, Will's your roommate? He's the one who taught me the basics." George said, feigning innocence. It was better than the alternative option, of saying that he already knew. Alex would shop at Tesco forever, anything to stay away from the creepy cashier who knows too much about him.

"Damn, really?" Alex asked, laughing. "He might've mentioned that, or something."

"Oh, he's not constantly talking about how great I am?" George asked, pouting.

Alex's face warmed up, his cheeks dusted in pink. He laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not particularly."

George turned to the register, pressing a few buttons before facing Alex again. "That'll be £5.33."

"Cool." Alex mumbled, taking out his wallet and fishing around. He handed George a tenner, their hands brushing. George had to bite the inside of his mouth to contain the smile threatening to breakthrough.

"Here's your change." George said. "You know," He began, "I didn't expect to, uh, see you again."

Alex pocketed the money, a small smile on his face. "Really?"

George nodded, standing up straighter. "Thought Tesco was a better fit?"

Alex laughed, his smile dropping only a bit. "Oh, yeah, well. Just can't beat the customer service here, I guess."

George pretended not to notice the shift in Alex's demeanor, pretended like Alex was smiling just as brilliantly as before. "You flatter me, Al—, uh, dude." George finished lamely.

Alex's grin dropped completely, but as quickly as it fell another guarded one surfaced, one much less genuine. Fuck.

"Do you—, would you like a receipt?" George questioned, averting his gaze from the boy in front of him.

Alex shook his head, mumbling a soft "No," to which George responded with a subtle nod. He wasn't quite sure what he did to cause such a dramatic change in Alex's vibe (for lack of a better word), but he was incredibly sorry. Maybe Alex caught on to the fact that George was about to say his name despite never actually telling him, and was creeped out. George wanted to bang his head against the register, but he'd have to wait until Alex left (probably for good).

"Have a good day." George said, watching as Alex collected his singular bag.

Alex's mouth quirked up in a half-smile. "You too, George." He gave one last nod and made his way to the exit.

It was hours later, the bright and unrelenting sun simmering out into the horizon, when George had finished his shift and felt the need to vent his worries to Will. The entire drive home (which wasn't exactly _long_ , but felt like ages) George attempted to focus on the intricacies of the week ahead, but, alas, his mind continued to drift. His mind seemed to parkour from the early morning Chemistry class he had the next day, to Strawberries and Cigarettes by Troye Sivan (courtesy of the radio), to strawberry shampoo, to Alex.

But every time he got to Alex, the inevitable destination, he felt like an idiot and a creep. Which in turn made him feel pretty upset. So, to alleviate some of the pain, George decided to text Will, the only one who knew his dilemma.

**will (work)**  
**5:19 pm**

mate  
i've royally fucked it up w alex

Will's response was almost immediate.

**will (work)**

nah impossible  
fucked up indicates that..  
something was there in the first place

mate  
pity me plz

okyyy  
but seriously i doubt it

you weren't there  
things were chill and lovely  
and then BOOM  
he looked like he wanted to be anywhere else

shopping not exactly fun innit

will ur no help

maybe he was having a rough day  
who knows

YOU know  
you're his roommate ffs

oh ya lol  
he was a bit panicky this morning  
wait he went shopping today????

jesus will keep up  
that's why i'm talking to you

we didn't need anything

oh he didn't get much  
cookies nd shampoo  
strawberry by the way

the fucker  
huh

ANYWAYS  
he thinks i'm creepy  
i almost said his name to him

...so should i tell him??  
that george is so so so sorry?  
and that he wants you to suck his dick?

fuck it  
forget i said anything  
u da worst

ok but GEORGE  
you have nothing to worry about

that just worries me more

George shut off his phone, flinging it to the side and sinking lower into his couch. Although it pained George to admit, part of Will was right, even if he said it horribly. George was overreacting, which, in all honesty, was probably creepier than knowing Alex's name. Only weirdos would get so worked up over nothing, or obese over strangers, and George was not weird. He was weird in the perfect amount that made a person interesting, but not weird.

That being said, Alex could never shop at Lucy's Market ever again, and George would be totally okay. Another cute person was bound to walk through his checkout lane again, George would be infatuated for a bit, and the cycle would continue. It was just the normalcy of life at this point.

_______________

George was beginning to think that he spent half of his fucking life in this fucking grocery store. It wasn't actually that bad; he was making money, the work was relatively easy, and the customers usually nice and small in number.

Currently, he was unloading a large cart of dairy products (mostly cheese— how many brands of cheese existed in the world?). It was a little different from his usual job of manning the register, but Joe had told him once he entered that they didn't need another guy at the register with so little customers. And as a result, George was taking his time placing shredded parmesan bags in their rightful place. The soft music was practically lulling him to sleep.

George placed the last parmesan down, but before moving onto the mozzarella, he did a double-take as he noticed the price.

"£5 for a bag of cheese? The fuck is it made of, goat cum?" George mumbled to himself, lost in the trance of expensive cheese, so much so that he didn't hear the rapidly approaching steps to his left.

"George!" Alex exclaimed, running up to George's side and panting, bending over and resting his hands on his knees.

George's eyes widened at the boy who had come from nowhere. His initial reaction of sputtering out a confused "Alex?" was swallowed (thankfully) and replaced with, "Uh, sorry, I don't know your name."

Alex looked back up, still breathing heavily, and smiled crookedly. "Oh! I'm Alex."

"Alex." George practiced, dwelling on the sound. "What the fuck are you screaming for?" He shifted the packet of cheese in his hands, bewildered at the sight in front of him.

"Sorry, just," Alex took a deep breath, "Finished class and then went back to our flat, and... Will wasn't there but the door was locked and I, uh, don't have the key, so—,"

"You're locked out." George finished for him It had been a week or two since he last saw Alex, and, he was partly disappointed that Alex only looked for him when he was distressed. However, another part of him was delighted that Alex sought him out in his time of anguish. The duality of a man.

"Yes, exactly." Alex said, removing his hands from his knees and standing up straighter. "And I've got a paper to write, and my laptop is inside."

George nodded, hoping Alex would continue. Even though every atom in his body screamed to help him, he felt powerless.

"So, is Will here? I can't think of where else he would be."

Oh. He was looking for Will.

"Uh, nope, don't think he was scheduled for today. Sorry, mate." George stared as Alex's face dropped from hopeful to crushed. It was heart breaking, and George couldn't just watch in good conscious. "I can text him?"

Alex shook his head but smiled gratefully at George. "Already tried— he won't fucking answer, the twat."

"Shit, yeah, I should've guessed." George wanted to hit himself in the face for making such a dumb suggestion, but he didn't want to make a fool of himself twice.

"What're you gonna do?" George asked. He glanced down at his hands where he was still holding cheese, and then looked around, making sure his manager wasn't watching him neglect his work and chat up a shopper.

"Fuck, I should let you get back to working, don't wanna distract you." Alex said, backing up. But George shook his head quickly, coming across way too eager.

"Not at all! I need the distraction. Hey, if you really want to get a start on that paper, I'm pretty sure I have my laptop in my car?" George offered. He felt as though he was balancing a fine line between being friendly and too interested in helping Alex.

Alex tilted his head to the side. "R-Really?"

"I mean, if you don't want to, that's fine, just a—," George placated, wanting Alex to accept his offer but not wanting him to feel pressured to stay around.

"No, I—, how much longer do you have on your shift?"

George's breath caught in his throat. "Couple hours."

Alex nodded, slowly at first and then with certainty, smiling back at George. "That would be bloody amazing."

George almost didn't catch Alex's response, but one he registered the enthusiasm, he shoved his hand into his pocket, digging around for his keys. "Cool, cool. Here—," George threw his keys to Alex, who barely caught them. "It's the old black one in the far end of the parking lot. Uh," George swallowed, "You can sit and work on it here while I stock the cheese— I'll probably be here a while."

Alex bit his lip, a smile growing on his face. He nodded along to George's monologue, jumping from foot to foot. It was like watching a little kid receive a lollipop after a doctor's appointment. The analogy, however, was nothing to the actual scene.

He held up the keys tauntingly, swinging them back and forth. "What if I'm, like, a secret agent sent to steal your car, or something?" Alex asked, raising his eyebrows.

George laughed, resuming his work of putting cheese packets in their spots. "No offense, but I feel like you'd be a shit agent."

Alex giggled in return. "That's part of the act, George!" He smiled toothily, scratching a part of his face. "But, thanks. You're a life saver." With that final statement, he turned and skipped to the exit.

George watched him until he was out of sight, despite his previous anxiety about his manager catching him doing no work. He couldn't bring himself to move his gaze even if he tried, even if he wanted to.

____________

The next time George saw Alex a few days later, he was incredibly disappointed to find that he wasn't alone.

George was back on the register, scanning a particularly stubborn bag of frozen peas for a young woman when he heard a short but strong laugh to his right. He glanced up briefly to see Alex with a basket full of groceries (and his signature paper), rolling his eyes at a boy standing next to him.

There was a couple customers between them and the lady George was currently working with, so he willed himself to concentrate on the peas. Not at all the fact that Alex was talking to some other fellow, probably charming him and making him feel all warm inside and—

The peas, George. Just focus on the peas. Focus on the small things in life, even stupid fucking peas with a barcode that wouldn't fucking work, no matter how many times he pressed it down into the scanner.

Ultimately they worked (but at George's expense; countless half-assed attempts at jokes by the lady who was buying the peas, such as "You aren't making me pay for fifty bags, are you?" or George's personal favorite, "If it doesn't work I can just take them for free!"), and no other item was difficult leading up to Alex.

George smiled down at Alex, purposefully ignoring the giggling boy next to him. "Hey, Alex." George greeted softly, reaching for the first item without moving his gaze.

Alex smiled back easily, subtly nudging the boy next to him. "Hello George! Busy day, eh?"

George snorted, shrugging. "Guess so, but makes things exciting."

Before George could continue talking, maybe drop in a few flirtatious lines to woo Alex, the boy beside Alex gasped loudly, in a way that was too dramatic to actually show surprise. "Oh, you're George, aren't you?" Alex shoved him harshly, looking at George in embarrassment.

George nodded curtly, looking down at his name tag. "I suppose that is what my tag says." He didn't try to come across as hostile as his word probably did, but seeing the way the two boys interacted so easily made him a bit jealous. Irrational, really, but crushes of all sorts always made one throw out all logic.

"Well, Alex has just told me so much—,"

Alex laughed loudly, interrupting his friend's words. "Sorry, uh, George. This is Lewis, my mate, but he's a bit stupid and talks a lot of shit—,"

"Oi!" Lewis butted in. George couldn't contain the laughter that erupted from his mouth. As the boys in front of him bickered randomly, George turned to the register to type in fruit codes for the bagged fruits Alex purchased. In his peripheral vision, George noticed Alex wipe his face tiredly, Lewis laughing along maniacally.

When he turned back, Lewis brightened, leaning against the counter. "I'm practically Alex's best mate, we have almost all our classes together and when Will has his girlfriend over he comes to mine. Like tonight, got a lil date planned—,"

George, unaware of the bewildered expression adorning Alex's face and the "what the fuck" mouthed, grunted. "Wonderful." He wasn't keen on listening to Lewis boast about how close him and Alex were, or how much they loved each other. If this was Lewis' way to tell George to back off of Alex, he got the message loud and clear.

"Told you he talks a lot of shit." Alex piped up, glaring daggers at Lewis, who seemed unfazed. Likely a normal occurrence.

George scanned the last few items in silence. He looked back up at the pair to find Alex looking at him worriedly and Lewis beaming, as if satisfied with the conversation. If he wasn't crushing all of George's dreams, he would be refreshed by the energetic presence.

"Receipt?"

Alex shook his head, gripping onto the basket. "No thanks. Uh, see you George."

George nodded, not looking up until the two left the counter. He finally raised his gaze to find Lewis trying to take the basket full of bags from Alex, who was yelling and shoving Lewis away. George let out a huff of air resembling laughter, torn between being amused and hurt.

An hour later, when George was buckling himself into his car, he felt a buzz sound from his pocket. He reached for his phone and checked it to find texts from Will.

**will (work)**  
**6:04 pm**

hey  
alex wanted me to tell you that,  
him and lewis aren't dating  
...idk y he couldn't tell you  
or y he needs you to know

wait did he really

yes  
was super adamant  
does he not have your number??

no

get on that mate

okay

George tossed his phone to the seat next to him, leaning into his steering wheel and smiling like an idiot. Just when he thought those hours of disregarding his work to distract Alex from his English paper weren't worth it, Will saves the day.

The adrenaline and pure excitement coursing through him was a wonderful, perhaps euphoric, feeling. If George knew where Alex was at the very moment, he might've run up and kiss him square on the mouth, whether he was with Lewis, Will, or the fucking Queen. The certainty that Alex was at the very least a tiny bit into him was at an all time high.

Unfortunately, despite the common saying that time heals, George's certainty started to slip away as the days went by. Because, what if Alex only said that because he didn't want to be mistaken as gay? Or, maybe he said that because he thought George was homophobic from the hostile like way he treated Lewis.

When George really dwelled on the 'maybes' and 'what if's', they sounded quite silly, unrealistic even. But the uncertainty chipped away at him, destroying the plan that George had put in place for whenever Alex stopped by again.

George's enemy during the entirety of his life leading up to now had been the concept of uncertainty; unsure of what his peers would think, unsure of what his life should look like, unsure if pursuing University was a smart choice. All limiting the ways in which he enjoyed life, the way he wanted to. Because, what if University ended up being a waste of time and money, or what if his peers disliked him? The uncertainty made him want to curl up in his bed and never try and find out what would happen. It was suffocating.

So, in times where he drowned in spiraling thoughts, he tried focusing on the certainty, no matter how small (it was the small things in—).

Alex texted Will about George. Alex was just a human being. Alex was sweet and caring, and wouldn't laugh horribly in George's face if he asked him out. Therefore, what was the absolute worst thing that could happen? Rejection and crippling loneliness? No big deal.

Every day George clocked in, he kept a pen in his pocket, ready to deploy for his plan whenever Alex stopped by. He hadn't felt this much anxiety coming into work everyday since his very first day, where Will soothed his worries. But this was a one-man task.

George usually worked Saturdays, the optimal choice that didn't involve closing or racing from class, but told Joe he wasn't available this weekend. He took the time to sleep in until noon and stay in his pajamas all day, doing various assignments he had to complete for the upcoming week (with a bit of gaming mixed in).

He enjoyed the break, needed it even, but he couldn't help but wonder if Alex went shopping today. He usually came in on Saturday's, the latter end (he claimed his sleeping schedule was fucked sideways, he woke up around 2pm one day), and if Alex did shop today, George wouldn't see him for another week or so.

Sunday came quickly, hardly allowing George to breathe. He opened his eyes groggily, breathing in deeply and pushing the face of his phone to stop the screaming alarm. He stared up at his ceiling, wondering if he could get fired for skipping one day of work. He closed his eyes again, and an image of Alex laughing surfaced. What if Alex came by? The question was enough to get George to slide out of bed.

That was becoming a common occurrence in the early morning. George would contemplate getting up for work, but, the idea, the hope of seeing Alex during the day filled with unexplainable energy. Most days, of course, George didn't see Alex. But that just made getting up the next day that much easier, seeing as his chances were higher.

And so, George found himself leaning drearily against the register, barely able to keep his eyes open. Although tired, he could still feel the pen sitting in his pocket, ready to be used.

People came and passed, as did the hours, and George's short thirty minute break.

Will had texted him earlier, during his ride over, asking if he was on schedule. George was confused, but answered and asked if Will was working too. Unfortunately, Will was working later, when George would clock out.

As he glanced around the emptiness of the store, he sighed. It was destined to be a boring day. Even the music reflected the somber mood— Drifting Away by khai dreams drifting through the speakers.

And, okay, George might've stayed up a bit late the previous night. With spending the majority of the night finishing a paper, George felt it necessary to reward himself with an hour (or few) of videos games. It was called self-care. Except it ended up being rather long, limiting his sleep to a few hours.

He leaned further on the register, hardly aware of the keys digging into his skin as he put his entire weight on it. He yawned, throwing his head back.

The cashier behind him snorted. "You good there, George?"

George waved his hand dismissively, using the other one to rub his eyes. Sounded like Susan, or Susie (she had asked her co-workers to try calling her that instead, some fight with her dad?), but George couldn't care enough to actually think about it. He was using all his brain power to stay awake, anyway.

"Don't worry 'bout me, Suz, I'm just gonna close my eyes a bit. Tell Joe I'm thinking of, uhm, cheese prices." And with that graceful statement, George closed his eyes and promptly fell asleep leaning against the register.

___________

"—doesn't look comfortable." George heard a voice say, followed by a strong poke on his left shoulder. He shot up, looking wildly around his immediate surroundings. Alex was staring back, frozen in place from George's outburst, and Susie behind George was laughing into her hand.

George, turned to her, his cheeks heating up as he realized Alex had just found him sleeping. "How... how long was I out?"

"Ten minutes, tops."

George sighed, mortified but relieved it wasn't Joe who woke him up after hours of sleeping on the job. He turned back to Alex, shaking he head softly. "Don't say anything."

"I wasn't going to! It looked like you needed the sleep, you were out cold." Alex exclaimed, raising his hands in defense. George noticed he was only holding a bag of crisps, and not even the shopping list that he usually brought.

He reached over the divider and grabbed the bag from Alex, raising an eyebrow. "This all you're getting?"

Alex nodded, looking embarrassed for some reason. "Yep. Ran out."

"Where's your shopping list?" George commented, attempting to be as nonchalant as possible.

"Uh, didn't really need one. Did all my shopping yesterday." Alex responded, his face continuing to heat up.

George couldn't resist the smirk that overcame his face. "I see. You just needed to see me so bad, huh?"

"No! I forgot the crisps!" Alex cried, his face finally reaching the reddest hue possible. "Nothing to do with you, at all. Asshole."

"Totally, totally." George mumbled, scanning the bag. After putting the crisps into a bag, Alex payed and the receipt printed out. George's breathing stuttered, remembering why Alex shopping was such a big deal.

"Do, uh, would you like your receipt?" George asked, already ripping it from the machine.

"George, you should know by now that I would not like it." Alex said, smiling as he clutched the bag to his chest. "Thank you, though."

George mentally cursed, the weight of the pen more and more uncomfortable as the seconds ticked by. "Alex, I really think you should take your receipt."

Great, George. Really fucking subtle. Nailed it, passed with flying colors.

Alex shot him a confused look, accompanied with a frazzled smile. "Uh, okay? Sure, I'll take it. Am I gonna get a discount or something?"

"Or something." George mumbled under his breath, reaching for his pen and crouching, so that Alex couldn't see what he was doing.

He quickly scribbled out a series of numbers, adding a small winky face and a "Here's my number, use it!" underneath. He capped the pen and slowly rose, to a now extremely confused Alex, resembling a lost puppy or kitten.

Before he could dwell on literally everything that was happening, George shoved the receipt into Alex's hands. "Don't... don't read it yet. Uh, wait until you get to your car?"

Alex gave him a concerned look but nodded, gripping onto it tightly. "Okay?" When George nodded, he nodded back. "Okay. See you, George!"

Most of the time, when Alex left, George felt euphoric from the interaction and then sadness, knowing he wouldn't see the other boy for a long while (few days to a week). This time, however, George just felt overwhelmed with anticipation and anxiety. He needed his shift to be over.

The last few hours ticked by slowly. George's forgotten phone laid in his car tauntingly. His phone could have a text from a very cute boy waiting to be seen.

Once he clocked out, George rushed towards the sliding doors. Before he could step outside and feel the chilly afternoon breeze, he heard a call from behind him. Joe, his manager.

He faced Joe with a tight smile, hoping his desperation to leave wasn't written plainly on his face. "Yeah?"

"Hey, so, Scott officially quit the other day. We're in a bit of a desperate need for someone, got any friends looking for a part-time job?"

George pretended to think for a total of three seconds before shaking his head forlornly. "You know, Joe, I'll have to get back to you on that. No one comes to mind."

Joe nodded understandably, patting George on the back. "Alright, sounds good. Good work today, man."

George smiled back and very casually walked out of the doors and to his car. If there was a slight pep in his step, no one would know.

Once getting to his car, he threw the door open and grabbed his phone.

**unknown #**  
**2:34 pm**

hope this is george ..  
it's alex :-)  
i'm super glad you forced me to take the receipt  
definitely worth it

George felt the grip on his phone loosen, and didn't even watch as it fell to the ground. He put his head in his hands, using all of the little willpower he had left to not squeal into his palms.

"Alex text you then, mate?"

Will walked up to him, picking up George's phone and glancing at it, scoffing. He shoved it into George's arms. "Gross."

"You knew, already?"

Will laughed, slapping George on the back. "You don't know how long I've been listening to Alex's 'George rants'... I deserve compensation."

"Shit. Fuck. Fuck, this doesn't feel real—, Will, pinch me—,"

"And it starts." Will groaned, walking past George towards the entrance. But George hardly noticed, transfixed on the four messages in front of him. His thumbs began to move faster than his brain, typing out a response that jumped from his heart.

**unknown #**  
**5:07 pm**

fuck ya

____________

George was pushing around a cart full of assorted chips, trying to remember the aisle they were supposed to be in. Most likely the sixth aisle, with the other snacks, but they should really invest in signs that indicate what can be found in each section.

Trusting his intuition, George pulled into the sixth aisle where he found the section of chips. Score.

Before unloading, George turned to see Will laughing with a customer at the register, smiling wide. George didn't mind meeting new and greeting old customers every day when he was stationed at the checkout lanes, but when Joe told him to restock items in the store, he couldn't pass up the chance of wandering through aisles alone. Going at his own pace, not having to deal with nasty shoppers— it was nice.

When he turned back, he noticed someone standing at the end of the aisle. When he focused his full attention on the lone figure, he broke out into a large grin. "Alex!"

Alex jogged up to George, who started to hold his arms out, and crashed into him, enveloping the two in a hug. Alex nuzzled his face into the crook of George's neck, making the latter's insides turn into mush. Even though he wanted to stay in the embrace until the end of time, George slowly released Alex, pecking him on the cheek.

As George was about to ask what he was doing here, Alex held up a small tag and a misshapen blob of cloth. "So, Will has been bugging me to get a job, and the other day I interviewed at this place with the best cashiers in town—,"

The lights in George's head went off, everything clicking into place. "You—, you, you're working _here_?" He asked, astonished.

Alex giggled and nodded enthusiastically. "I didn't tell you 'cause I wanted it to be a surprise."

George, who was staring at Alex in pure wonder, laughed and brought Alex into his arms again. "Best fucking surprise ever, Al."

"I'm the best boyfriend ever, right?" Alex teased, head resting on George's shoulder.

"Better than the best." George corrected, releasing the boy again. "Fuck, I didn't want to kiss you because I'm fucking working, but." He shrugged and grasped Alex's head in his hands carefully, bringing their faces together. Their lips connected easily, and the feeling of pure adoration overcame George again, like it was their first kiss all over again.

George moved his hands from Alex's face to Alex's waist, picking him up and spinning him around while they continued to kiss. Alex laughed into his lips, the vibrations mixed with the miraculous sound of Alex laughing causing George to feel all sorts of things.

When George could no longer hold Alex in the air, he put him down and moved his head back, disconnecting their lips. He rested his forehead against Alex's, panting. "Shit. I'm gonna see you all the time."

Alex laughed, pecking George on the mouth quickly. "You better not get tired of me. Y'know, I came by all the time just to see you. Do you understand how much money I'm going to save working here?" Alex asked, nudging George playfully.

"I couldn't get tired of you if I tried, Elmslie." George scoffed, appalled at the idea of not brightening whenever Alex entered a room. "I can't believe you wasted money for me. How embarrassing." He crooned, pinching Alex's cheek.

Alex shoved him away, rolling his eyes. "Don't remind me. It's a new low."

"When do you start?" George asked, bouncing on his toes. "This weekend? Now? Wait, who's training you? Can I do it?"

Alex blinked dramatically, putting his hands on George to steady him. "This weekend, and I specifically asked for you to train me 'cause I said, and I quote, I was most comfortable with you."

George beamed and kissed his cheek again. Alex didn't blush as easily as he used to when George would shower him with affection, but his reactions were always lovely.

"Will was a bit offended, though." Alex contemplated, looking sideways at George.

George snorted, waving his hand in the air. "He can suck it up. Actually, he could literally threaten me, and I'd still train you. Train you to pieces." He twirled one of Alex's hoodie strings around his finger.

"He is the reason we—,"

"Oi. Andrews and Elmslie! Y'all working over there?" George sighed against Alex and turned around to see Will standing sassily against his register. Alex gave him a middle finger, while George stuck his tongue out playfully. "Real professional." He heard Will call out.

"Are you still okay with coming to mine after my shift?" George asked. "I've been rewatching the office and Jim and Pam are finally together, so, it's bound to be a romantic time."

"And we're making cookies, right?" Alex asked, pouting prettily.

George nodded in serious agreement. "Of course." As if he could've ever said no to Alex. It was proving to be impossible. Thank the people above that Alex never asked for the money in the register, or George would've been fired in the very beginning.

"Well, I should let you get back to working." Alex said, hesitancy in his voice and movements. He looked sadly at George.

George pulled Alex by the strings (in a way that didn't choke him) back up to him, kissing him one last time. "Fine. Only three hours left."

Alex nodded, as if reaffirming the time. "Three hours. Easy."

When Alex left, George resumed his work of stocking the shelves, making his own commentary on each brand and flavor in his head. Not too amusing, but enough to pass by the long, dwindling hours.

Because, being content with life was a byproduct of appreciating and holding onto the small things, like crisps commentary, the music playing in the background, one's bank account growing, and George's latest addition— the boy with the colorful hoodies waiting for him with bounds of love.

And that was more than enough.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!!! seriously i'm so grateful! kudos nd comments are more than appreciated.,.,.,, they are cherished! also if you have ideas shoot em my way (follow me on tumblr lol: asimplekalzone)


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